It can improve your mood

It’s obvious but avoiding news can reduce exposure to distressing information, which, in turn, can lead to a decrease in anxiety and stress levels and reduce overwhelm, leaving you with a generally more positive outlook on life.

A big part of this is breaking those negative patterns and defining whether the way we’re feeling has been worsened by the news we’re exposed to.

“If we become hooked into the news cycle, it can add to our sense of anxiety of overwhelm,” says Sturmer. “When we switch off from the news, it helps us to tune into what we are really feeling. To understand whether our feelings are being determined by events that are simply outside of our control.”

It can improve sleep and mental clarity

This one seems obvious, but spending less time on the constant news cycle, switching off and spending more time away from our screens can improve sleep patterns and reduce your cognitive load.

Information overload occurs when people are exposed to too much information, either in terms of volume or the pace with which it is presented or both.

“In the current digital age, we are exposed to much more information than we can possibly process, contributing to problems with attention, depth of processing and decision-making,” explains mindset psychologist Dr Rebekah Wanic. “Feeling overwhelmed from information overload can lead to the experience of stress and anxiety, as we recognise our limits but worry that we might be missing things that are important.

“When there is too much to sort through, we can experience problems focusing, which can impair our ability to fully work through material, leaving our understanding compromised. A lack of understanding and not being able to process all the relevant information can impair decision-making.”

Decision-making can also be impaired because overload causes a desire to cognitively disengage because of mental fatigue. Therefore Wanic suggests people to work to manage what they are exposed to by limiting screen time – particularly social media – turning off phone notifications or email alerts when possible and creating time for uninterrupted work or relaxation.

“The current environment doesn’t make it easy to filter, so we have to put in the hard work to do it but this hard work is worth it,” she says.

It can enhance your emotional regulation

Do you find your emotions are more unstable when you’ve come out of a particular period of bad news exposure? It makes sense. After all, the frequent emotional highs and lows that the news cycle can deliver are bound to fluctuate depending on how you’re feeling.

Reducing exposure can help with this. Instead, try to focus on improving coping mechanisms that can make it easier to handle stress and challenges.

“Connecting with your social circle to share what you’re experiencing can provide validation and compassion from those close to you. Talking about it will allow you to hear yourself and own what is happening to you emotionally, which can lead to feeling less powerless,” suggests psychotherapist Alex Iga Golabek. “The conversation might lead to moments of crying or even laughter in response to comments from friends or family members about the situation – both help to release tension and alleviate anxiety. Physical closeness like a hug can also reassure you in knowing you are not alone.”

Feeling more news avoidant than ever? Here’s why skipping the news may be the new self-care